Michigan is betting big on efforts to recruit, train and retain educators across the state.

There are incentives for current college students to stay in Michigan to teach. There are nonprofits working to link adults with bachelor’s degrees to teacher training programs. Plus, there have been some changes with state funding to allow districts to try to retain teachers and reduce turnover.

It’s all part of an effort to reduce what officials say have been significant teacher shortages in Michigan, where schools have struggled to fill certain positions for years.

Educators have urged state leaders to take workforce challenges seriously as teachers retired or otherwise left the profession in recent years.

“I think we’re making strides toward addressing the problems, but we still have issues filling certain roles,” said Peter Spadafore, executive director of Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity.

“There’s always going to be demand for special ed teachers, mathematic teachers — a lot of different types of teachers.”

As of the 2022-23 academic year, Michigan public schools employed 88,011 teachers, up from 86,588 teachers two years prior.

While districts are still reporting vacancies, officials say it’s too soon to see the full impact of recent hiring and retention initiatives, but there are promising signs.

Among them: Enrollment in teacher preparation programs is up, as are teacher certifications in math, science and English as a Second Language.

Here are five things to know about continuing efforts to grow Michigan’s teacher workforce.

1. Not all schools face the same challenges in hiring teachers and other personnel.

Some subjects like math and science have historically been harder to staff than others. School districts have also struggled to fill special education teaching spots. Urban and rural districts often face challenges in hiring.

High housing costs or a nearby district offering a more competitive wage can compound a district’s ability to find enough qualified educators.

The state collects a lot of data but until recently, real-time shortage data was hard to come by.

Now, districts are to report personnel changes within 30 days, rather than just twice a year, said Tara Kilbride, a Michigan State University researcher who studies the teacher workforce.

2. In recent years, state lawmakers have dedicated millions in funding to recruit, train, and retain teachers. 

In 2022, lawmakers approved $175 million for “grow-your-own” programs to train existing school personnel or community members to become teachers. Often, districts partner with a specific university or college to provide the training.

The state also invested in Talent Together, a program founded by the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative. In recent years, combined, the two groups have been allocated $101.4 million in taxpayer funds.

Talent Together is a consortium of intermediate school districts that work with teacher training programs. Participants attend school for free and often participate in registered apprenticeships.

Talent Together has 1,100 active participants in the first two years of the program, said Executive Director Sarena Shivers.

The program has a 94% retention rate, meaning most educators who started the training continued it the next year or graduated.

Michigan’s investment is powerful, Shivers said, in part because students will have teachers who are “extremely passionate and committed to the kids they serve.”

State leaders allocated $10 million in December 2021 and another $20 million in 2022 for Teach for America Detroit to recruit, retain and develop educators in the TeachMichigan program.

Teach for America Detroit has subsequently used the funding to support 600 educators in 18 school districts, which is projected to impact about 150,000 students.

The state has made important investments in growing the teacher workforce, said Executive Director Armen Hratchian.

But the overall compensation package for teachers has declined over two decades in part because of the state moving away from a pension system, he said. Plus, other sectors outside of teaching have become more lucrative, offering competitive wages and remote work flexibility.

3. The number of people choosing to pursue a teaching credential is up

That’s because of the number of people enrolled in alternative route programs, according to the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative.

Researchers at the Michigan State University group found these programs — designed to help those who already have a bachelor degree become a teacher — have led to more teacher diversity.

At the same time, there may be concerns about teacher retention.

“We find that early-career teachers from alt-route programs exit the profession at higher rates than traditional-route teachers with the same level of teaching experience,” the policy brief said. “Additional support for alt-route teachers may be necessary for these programs to make a lasting effect on Michigan’s teacher workforce.”

4. The state allowed some funding flexibility for districts with the highest concentration of poverty to attract and retain personnel 

This change has provided districts “a lot of optimism,” Spadafore said.

School districts are hoping to implement bonuses and adding more staff to reduce class sizes, he said. Lower class sizes can reduce teacher burnout and increase individualized attention to students, Spadafore added.

5. Students interested in becoming teachers in Michigan can receive state scholarships and stipends.

The state offers college students studying to become teachers $10,000 a year in scholarships and $9,600 a semester for their required student teaching.

There are 2,114 students who received a MI Future Educator scholarship during the 2024-2025 school year, according to data from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.

Last year and this school year combined, the state awarded about $33.9 million in scholarships for 4,722 students.

In the same time frame, the state awarded about $45.6 million in stipends for 4,208 students.

This article is being republished through a syndication agreement with Bridge Michigan. Bridge Michigan is Michigan’s largest nonprofit news service and one of the nation’s leading and largest nonprofit civic news providers. Their coverage is nonpartisan, fact-based, and data-driven. Find them online at https://www.bridgemi.com/.